How to Be a Child Support Lawyer

Parents hire child support attorneys to assist and represent them in their child support cases.

Some divorce settlements contain clauses regarding child support, together with things such as custody and alimony. Parents who want to anticipate getting child support and do not have the legal knowledge to represent themselves often secure the help of child support lawyers. Child support attorneys can also help calculate and negotiate the amount of child support paid or received. If you want to work as a child support lawyer, follow these steps.

1. Finish your bachelor studies and earn a degree. You cannot apply directly to law school, as these postgraduate programs require you to complete four years of college or university first. One of the few exceptions to this rule relates to the Cooley Law School in Michigan, which admits students if they have a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits.

2. Next, you have to pass the LSAT examination. A test designed especially for future law students, it evaluates the extent to which someone seems suited for a legal career. Check the official website of the Law School Administration Council for full information about the test, its dates and law schools (http://www.lsac.org/). You will get your LSAT result three weeks from the date you took the test. Ensure you program your test in such a way that you will have the results before the deadlines for application to the law schools of your choice pass.

3. Choose a law school according to your GPA score and LSAT results. If you have low scores, you likely will not get into a prestigious law school. Evaluate your chances of admission and choose a law school where you have chances for acceptance. Ensure you have the documents required and send in your application before the deadline.

4. Attending law school can prove a challenge to your budget. Several scholarships and grants are available for law students, and you also have the possibility of getting federal direct loans or private loans.

5. Once you’ve enrolled in law school, customize your curriculum in a way that serves your future career as a child support lawyer. Child support attorneys need to thoroughly know and have the ability to interpret child support laws. Study as many cases related to child support as possible so you will have a good background for assisting your future clients.

6. Work during the summers. Find local law firms dealing with child support cases and get a summer job to acquire some practical skills and learn from practicing child support attorneys.

7. Graduating from law school does not automatically mean you can practice law. You will first need to pass a bar examination. You can find out information about the bar exam and get further career advice from the official American Bar Association website (http://www.abanet.org/). Contact them and get your name on the list of child support attorneys in your area.